Chapter: Mystery Of The Black Portal

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the following characters, except for Keiyma Suriei, Myrani Sakai, Etsu Nakamura, Itachi, and Zakoto.

Keiyma ran back to Genkai's temple much faster than she had ever run in her life. She hoped that they would be able to sense Etsu and Zakoto's past presence by the tree.

She threw open the door and looked around the empty entrance. She yelled out for everyone to come over to her, but, even after several minutes, the room was still empty. They were all still fast asleep.

Unfortunately, she lost her patience.

"I SAID, get your ASSESdown here, you BAKAS!"

After a moment, all the spirit detectives were in front of her, looking cranky and exhausted.

"What, you ran?" Hiei asked Kuwabara, who was gasping for air.

"Of course! I'd never keep a lady waiting," he replied, grinning.

"Lady? Pfft! Did you even listen to the way she called us?" Yusuke frowned then whispered around to his friends, "Didn't I tell you she was acting weird?"

They nodded. Keiyma was too riled up to notice.

"Hey, guys. What's going on?" Etsu appeared from behind Hiei, smiling sweetly.

"It's funny you should ask, Etsu. I was just going to tell everyone about what I saw outside a few moments ago, but maybe you'd like to spare me the trouble."

Etsu's eyes widened.

"What's she talking about?" Hiei asked. Keiyma couldn't read his emotion.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Etsu choked.

"Oh, yes, you do." Keiyma glared. "Hiei, are you too stubborn to read her mind?"

"Hn."

"Fine. There's more than one way to skin a rat."

"Rat?" Yusuke asked. "Aw, not this again! Don't tell me you're ranting on about another DREAM!"

"I know I went overboard before," she began, ignoring Yusuke's scoff, "but this time it was real! I'm sure of it. I followed her outside. I saw them together. She's Zakoto's informant, his 'little manipulator'. She's been playing us all to get information for him."

"Some of us... more than others," she added, making brief contact with Hiei's eyes before he looked away. "I can take you where they meet."

"There's no harm in looking, is there?" asked Kurama. The other detectives grudgingly agreed.

Keiyma smiled.

At least there was someone who believed her.

O—o—O—o—O—o—O—o—O

"I don't see any trees with X's on them, Keiyma. Nature's nice and all, but, next time you make us hike through the woods, make it for an actual reason," Yusuke yelled out.

"I know it's around here somewhere..." Keiyma mumbled to herself.

Keiyma walked around, staring at all the trees that passed. She came across a familiar area with an enormous mahogany tree.

No mark was left upon it.

That couldn't be right. It was here. She knew it. She was here. She had marked this tree. But… there was nothing there.

"Keiyma, this is getting pointless. Now, is there a tree, or not?" asked Yusuke, stomping through the brush behind her.

"Uh... maybe it fell down?" suggested Kuwabara.

Keiyma tried to ignore the arrogant grin on Etsu's face, which nobody else seemed to see.

"I think it would be for the best if we all just headed back," Kurama said, surprising her.

He didn't believe her, after all.

"Yeah." She nodded, defeated. "I guess it was just a dream."

They all turned to walk back, most of them looking annoyed.

Keiyma closed her eyes and fell against the mahogany tree. Her mind was blank. She wasn't angry, confused, or sad. She was nothing. She felt nothing.

There was a gentle breathing in front of her. She opened her eyes.

"Hiei, what-?"

"I'm reading your mind." He stared at her intently, focused just as he was when running at top speed.

"Oh." Keiyma said, suddenly embarrassed. "What do you see?"

"You weren't lying."

"I'm sorry, Hiei. I wish it could have turned out another way…" She looked at the ground. "Of all the weapons in the world, it's love that can hurt us the most."

There was no response. Keiyma looked up, expecting him to be gone.

But, he wasn't.

He was still staring at her, prying through her psyche. It was supremely unnerving not to know what thoughts he was seeing, what secrets he was uncovering. She shivered.

"You've been hurt a lot by love, haven't you?"

Keiyma was startled. She hadn't expected that to be what he was looking at inside her mind. She thought it would just be more information on Etsu.

She nodded.

"How?"

"Couldn't you just read that in my mind?"

"I could, but I'd rather hear it from you."

Keiyma shuffled her feet.

"People lie. They say that they love you, but it's just an act. They get you vulnerable so that… so they can do whatever they want to you."

"Who? Who did that to you?"

"Everyone." She sniffed.

Kurama said he cared about her, but he wouldn't even believe Keiyma about Etsu.

He doesn't feel 'right' when he touches her.
But neither does she.

That night when Hiei had carried her away from Zakoto… She couldn't help but wonder…

Keiyma lifted up her hand and gingerly pressed her fingertips to Hiei's lips.

She didn't get a feeling like before.
This time, it was ten thousand times stronger.

Calmness and correctness flooded her, forcing her into a content smile. It disappeared quickly when she noticed Hiei's face.

He looked horrified.

Keiyma quickly pulled her hand away.

"I'm sorry, I–"

He was gone. He ran so fast that Keiyma never even saw him move. He simply vanished into the air.

She fell back, hopelessly alone, punching the wickedly bothersome tree at her sides. Her eyes were watering.

She thought there was someone to love her, someone she was meant to be with… but she disgusts him.

"I'm such a fool," she sobbed.

"You sound so sad, my dear."

Keiyma froze. She knew that voice.

"Zakoto."

He stepped in front of her, casting her in his shadow.

"You don't look happy to see me, my dear. Were you hoping for someone else?" He moved her to the side. "Or perhaps, something else?"

Zakoto smirked, sliding his hand across the trunk of the mahogany tree. The bark melted off, revealing a carved 'X'.

"I must say, that mark was difficult to cover up, even for an illusionist of my skill. But," He grinned. "I managed."

Keiyma touched the indentation on the tree, stroking the inward slope of her carving. The wood inside was smooth, contrasting with the jagged texture of rest of the tree. It was there; she could feel it.

It was real.

She slapped him.

"You're a bastard." Zakoto rubbed the side of his face.

A small grin spread slowly across his lips.

"Hmm. I think I prefer you when you're angry, my dear." Keiyma's eyes widened.

"Why did you come here?"

"To let you know my offer still stands."

"Offer?"

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten our last meeting."

"Fortunately."

Zakoto chuckled.

"My offer to join you, my offer of absolute power and control."

His arm suddenly draped around Keiyma's shoulder. He wouldn't let her shrug it off.

There was something about his touch, nothing good, but it seemed… familiar.

"Haven't you ever wanted control? To be able to change your life, to finally get everything you've always wanted?"

Everything?

"Come," He waved his free hand and the black portal of nothingness reappeared "let me show you."

Keiyma felt the feelings of fear and dread crawl up within her again.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm the only one who trusts you."

"That's not true, Kur–"

But, he doesn't. He didn't believe her.

Keiyma closed her mouth, her eyes downcast.

"Shall we, then?" he asked, directing towards the portal.

Every voice in Keiyma's mind, every feeling in her body told her to run, run as far as she could from the evil before her.

She ignored them and stepped inside.

O—o—O—o—O—o—O—o—O

Keiyma looked around quickly, but there was nothing around her but blackness. There was no light anywhere, yet she could see herself perfectly.

A sudden rush of colors surrounded her. She felt dizzy and fell to the floor, watching as the colors finally calmed and settled into an unfamiliar room.

The windows were draped in gold, and the furniture was a deep black, accented in deep purple. The tints seemed to paint a picture, a picture of darkness brightened.

There was a bed behind her covered with a purple satin comforter. It looked so comfortable and soft, she couldn't help but to sit on the bed and pull the comforter against her cheek. It was soft and cool against her skin.

She walked up to a black bureau, running her hands along the smooth wood. She looked into the mirror attached to the top, surprised at her reflection.

She looked older. Her hair was longer, falling down past the length of the mirror.

Keiyma brought a hand to her nose. It wasn't crooked or twisted. It didn't look like it had been broken over and over again. It brought no reminders of pain or unpleasantries. It was just a normal nose.

Looking down, Keiyma saw she was wearing a blue nightdress. She gasped when she saw that her stomach was bulging out. She was pregnant.

A picture frame was sitting on the bureau, facing away from her. Curiously, she turned it around so that see could see the photo it held.

It was a picture of her, a bit younger than she appeared in the mirror, being held in a man's arms. He was older than she remembered, but she recognized him clearly. Her heart missed a beat.

It was Hiei.

The creek of a door caused Keiyma to turn abruptly. She stared, open-mouthed as the older version of Hiei stood in front of her. He was smiling. Not smirking, but, actually, genuinely smiling. She had never seen him smile before. It lit up his entire face, giving him an almost godly beauty.

"I don't know how you do it, but every time I see you I fall even more in love," he said, his eyes sparkling. He picked up Keiyma's hands, which had been holding her stomach, and lightly kissed each one, soothing her.

"Happy anniversary, Keiyma."

"H–happy anniversary."

"I never thought life could be so perfect."

"Me neither," Keiyma managed to whisper through her tightened throat.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him for a kiss. But his lips never reached hers. Instead, he melted away.

Everything around her vanished and Keiyma was once again in a world of black.

"Enjoy yourself?"

She turned. Zakoto was standing behind her.

"What was that?"

"That could be your future, my dear. Joining me will bring you power, control, and anything your heart desires. Your life doesn't have to be hard, anymore."

He paused noticing her flushed face. He raised an eyebrow. "What exactly was it that you saw?"

"You couldn't see?"

"No." Relief washed over her.

"Happiness," she choked, hoping he would leave it at that.

"Indeed?" A sly grin materialized on his face for just a moment before he snapped it away. "Well, my dear, you know how you can achieve that happiness. What is your decision?"

O—o—O—o—O—o—O—o—O

Hiei ran into Kurama's room, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it, so as to prevent anyone else from entering.

Kurama was sitting on his floor mat, intently reading a book. He looked up at his unannounced guest. "What's wrong?"

"She was telling the truth," he said.

Kurama sighed, placing his book down on the bed.

"I felt she was, but if our search had continued just as fruitlessly, it would have hurt her even more."

"If I had just read her mind sooner…"

"You can't change the past, so why dwell on your mistakes?"

"Because, I feel like a fool."

"It's not your fault, Hiei. Etsu played you, probably with Zakoto's help."

"But Keiyma kept trying to tell us–"

"There was no proof."

"Hn."

"There's something else bothering you, isn't there?"

"After I read her mind, Keiyma touched me."

"She… touched you?"

"Kurama, I felt something."

"You mean–?"

"Yes. I felt the pull."

Both demons fell silent.